Perhaps the injury impacted Pedroia in the postseason, when he hit .238 with no homers, seven RBIs and a .587 OPS.

But considering the way the season ended, with the Red Sox winning it all, Pedroia wasn't about to complain about playing through injury.

"It's part of the job," Pedroia said. "Everyday players, you go through stuff like this. You've got to try to find a way to manage it. Our training staff was awesome. I just had to limit my swings and do some other things. I found a way to get through it."

During the regular season, Pedroia hit .301 with nine homers and 84 RBIs and played spectacular defense, earning him his third Rawlings Gold Glove Award.